Battle for the Internet

Our Freedom is on the Line

Cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner, and Verizon plan to control our internet usage and charge websites arbitrary fees and slow any sites that won't pay up. They will begin to charge users for everything they do, much like phone companies charge its users for texts, calls, and data usage. Our broadband(internet speed) will be halted and lowered if we do not stand up for net neutrality.

The Reality

Imagine the United States if you did not have freedom of speech? If cable companies get there way , "ISPs can block or slow down news sites for any reason, be it commercial or ideological. For example, Comcast could block NYTimes.com or slow it to a crawl because the online newspaper published an op-ed in favor of net neutrality or even reported something negative about the company"(Tom's Guide). Losing net neutrality could also make citizens lose their rights to free election. There's nothing to stop the ISPs from influencing elections even more directly. Your broadband provider could block the website of one candidate while speeding up that of another. Finally, without net neutrality, online businesses will plummet. Just like the Mob, cable companies can shake down business owners and force them to pay extra for their website to be able run, ruining small businesses if they do not pay the extra cost.

Why We Need to Keep It

Net Neutrality is a good thing because without it ISPs (Internet Service Providers) can control and limit our internet experience. Similar to how television works, they would be able to limit certain things and make them available for a extra fee. This would include things such as internet speeds as well as being able to block website, applications, and services. Applications would also be exclusive to certain ISPs, for example Netflix for AT&T, or YouTube for Time Warner Cable. This would force people to choose which applications they want more than others, and often they would have to pay extra for these as well. They could also slow down our Internet by blocking or interfering with traffic on the web. This can also lead to ISP limiting freedom of speech or expression by taking away our freedom of communication and by limiting what we can post online.

Let's Take A Stand

It is up to each and every one of us to stop the cable companies from getting their greedy way and ending net neutrality. Only you can go to your local comgressmen and women and ADVOCATE for change. Go to this website to see how the odds stand for the war for net neutrality and see if your state representatives are for or against net neutrality.

For example, here are the California representatives who have so far stated their position on net neutrality.

Watch this video to better understand why we must protect net neutrality

Our Demand To You

We must ask to keep these huge ISP companies from taking away our right to a free and neutral Internet. We cannot let them force us to pay, and take away our right to freedom of expression. According to the first amendment, we have the right to protest, so let us express that right. We shall make ourselves heard so they cannot take what we deserve and what we have the right to keep. We can sign petitions and arrange peaceful protests to keep the government from allowing these companies to take over. We can also boycott these companies if they even do get the right to take over net neutrality. We will fight for our rights. Our plan is to meet up at Comcast's central location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and lock arms to represent the blockage of traffic that companies like Comcast will do if our net neutrality is lost.

There are wolves and there are sheep. Cable companies are the wolves and we are the sheep. Cable companies act like they are trying to help us with ending net neutrality, but they are just wolves in sheep's clothing. We must join together and fight against the wolves to protect our rights and our lives.